8 Types of Islam Explained

How Secularism Functions Like a Religion

Secularism is often seen as a neutral space free from religious influence, but postmodern anthropologist Talal Asad argues otherwise. According to Asad and other scholars, secularism operates in a quasi-religious manner, shaping society with its own doctrines, rituals, and belief systems.

Secularism as a Moral and Political System

Religions establish ethical frameworks, such as Christianity’s Ten Commandments or Islam’s Sharia, and secularism enforces its own moral principles in a similar fashion. Some of its core values include:

• Freedom of speech and expression, though often limited by social norms.
• Progressive values, such as LGBTQ+ rights, which are upheld with the same fervor as religious commandments.
• The idea of religion as a private matter, a concept rooted in Christianity but imposed on other faiths.
• Competition with religion, as secularism does not remain neutral but actively reshapes religious thought and practice.

Sacred Texts and Social Dogma

Just as religious communities revere their scriptures, secular societies treat certain documents as untouchable foundations:

• The U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Human Rights are often regarded as infallible.
• Questioning democracy or secular principles can be seen as heretical, leading to social and political backlash.

Rituals and Symbols in Secular Society

Religious traditions incorporate rituals and sacred symbols, and secular societies do the same:

• Standing for the national anthem and respecting national flags.
• Observing memorial days for fallen soldiers, resembling religious commemorations.
• Taking oaths in courts and political offices, akin to religious pledges.

The Missionary Nature of Secularism

Like religions that provide meaning to life and a moral mission, secularism promotes ideals such as human rights, democracy, and freedom as absolute truths. Many Western states justify international interventions under the guise of spreading democracy and human rights, a process that strongly resembles religious evangelism.

Excommunication and Punishment in Secularism

In religion, apostasy—leaving the faith—can lead to excommunication or social punishment. In secularism, challenging dominant social norms can result in public shaming, career destruction, or legal repercussions. For example, publicly criticizing progressive ideals can lead to being "canceled," losing a job, or even being banned from social spaces.

The Separation of Church and State: A Myth of Neutrality?

One of the core principles of secularism is the separation of church and state, supposedly ensuring a neutral governance system. However, Asad and other scholars argue that secularism does not eliminate religious influence—it simply replaces it with its own ideological framework. Laws and policies continue to be shaped by secular moral values, which act as a form of governance similar to religious legal systems.

In practice, secular states often restrict religious expressions in public life, making neutrality more of an illusion than a reality. The debate over religious symbols in public spaces, such as hijabs in France or crosses in government buildings, highlights the power dynamics of secular governance.

Conclusion: Secularism is Not Neutral

Secularism is not merely the absence of religion—it behaves like a religion itself, enforcing beliefs, rituals, and punishments. It is an active ideology that seeks to reshape society according to its own values rather than allowing true neutrality.

What do you think? Can secularism truly be neutral, or is it just another form of belief system?

Thinking Muslim's Guide to Atheist Arguments by Basira Education

 

Listen to the whole series of 15 episodes. It's a gem!

Understanding Modest Dress for Women in Islam

I have been researching the scholarly consensus and the fundamental requirements for modest dressing for women in Islam, prompted by a request from my cousin sister. Given the sensitivity of this topic, I aim to present a high-level overview while providing references for further exploration at the end of this post.

Core Principles of Modest Dress

• Covering the Awrah: Islamic teachings emphasize covering the parts of the body considered awrah—areas that should remain hidden from unrelated men. While interpretations differ, the majority opinion holds that a woman should cover her entire body except for her face and hands.
• Loose and Non-Revealing Garments: Clothing should be loose-fitting to prevent the body’s shape from being discernible. It should also be non-transparent and not form-fitting to avoid attracting undue attention.
• The term hijab is often used to describe both the headscarf (which covers the hair) and the broader concept of modest attire. While the headscarf is a key element, modest dress extends beyond just covering the hair.

Minimum Requirements

• Covering the Hair and Neck: At a minimum, a woman is expected to cover her hair and neck, which is typically done using a hijab or headscarf.
• Covering the Body: The rest of the body, except for the face and hands, should be covered with loose, non-transparent garments to maintain modesty and avoid drawing attention to the body’s shape.

Context and Variation

• Scholarly Differences: Although these guidelines are widely accepted, variations exist among scholars and communities. Some interpretations include covering the feet or even the face (as in the case of the niqab), but the most commonly practiced opinion allows the face and hands to remain uncovered.
• Cultural and Personal Considerations: Modesty is expressed in different ways across cultures and personal beliefs. However, the core principle remains a focus on modesty, humility, and respect in public appearance.

Summary

Islamic modest dress for women generally includes covering the hair, neck, and body in a loose and non-revealing manner, with the face and hands being common exceptions. These guidelines promote modesty and discourage unnecessary attention, while variations in practice exist due to different interpretations and cultural influences.

References

• The Evolution of Hijab – Dr. Shabir Ally

• Understanding Islamic Dress Codes

• Helping Hijabis Understand Proper Hijab and Its Purpose - Omar Suleiman

• What’s Behind the Hijāb Bans: An Analytical Look | Ask Shaykh YQ - EP 261

• Understanding the Ruling and Wisdom of Hijab | Ask Shaykh YQ - EP 262

• The Quran and Modest Dress

• A Feminist's Choice to Wear the Hijab | Attiya Latif | TEDxUVA

• What does the Quran really say about a Muslim woman's hijab? | Samina Ali | TEDxUniversityofNevada

• What does the Quran really say about a Muslim woman's hijab? | Samina Ali | TEDxUniversityofNevada

• Don't Force The Hijab, Do THIS Instead | Nouman Ali Khan

• Progressive Views on Islamic Modesty

The rise and fall of the medieval Islamic Empire - Petra Sijpesteijn & B...

Garry Wills and the Q'uran

The Five Essential Questions About The Zionist Narrative by Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi

1. What gave United Kingdom the right to promise (Sykes-Picot Agreement 1916) the land of Palestinians to the fellow Europeans, the land that they didn't own?
2. What gave United Nations the right to hand over the majority of the land to Europeans of Zionist background in 1947?
3. What gave the right to newly formed State of Israel in August 1948 launch massacres (first Nakba) of thousands of Palestinians in hundreds of villages resulting in millions of people flee?
4. What gave State of Israel launch further attack in 1967 to take over (second Nakba) Gaza, West Bank and Jerusalem?
5. What gave the Govt of Israel the right to treat Palestinians in sub-human restrictions making Gaza the largest open air prison in the world?

Reconstructing The Muslim Mind ~ Dr. Yasir Qadhi | 31st January 2015

6 years old lecture but very relevant for any time!

Islamic Civilization in Thirty Lives by Chase Robinson

After one year of reading (not listening in audible but reading the fine print hardcover), I feel sad that the book is finished for me yesterday - Islamic Civilization in Thirty Lives: The First 1,000 Years. This is written by distinguished historian of Islam Professor Chase F. Robinson and published in 2016. I haven't found many books in English that describe major Islamic figures in the last one and half millennia. Something that came close was written by Badr Azimbadi named Great Personalities in Islam, which I finished 3 years ago. But the quality of Chase Robinson's work is nowhere near comparable with any other books of similar category I can think of. My friend Nody first told me about this book when she shared with me a youtube video Professor Robinson's conversation with Sarah Chayes. After watching it, I immediately ordered the book and started reading when it arrived. It's been a pleasure to see the diversity Islam brought to the world over a long period of time through some of the well-known and unknown figures in this book. The book has been organized by describing the lives of 30 persons picking a few from each century, ordered by their year of death. The 30th character in this book dies in 1524. I wish a follow up of this book is written for the last 5 centuries as well, perhaps picking another 10 lives?

Here are the biographies touched in this book.

Part 1: Islam & Empire (600-850)

• (1) Muhammad- the Prophet (632)
• (2) Ali - cousin, caliph and forefather of Shi'ism (661)
• (3) A'isha - wife of the Prophet - (678)
• (4) Abd al-Malik - engineering of the caliphate (705)
• (5) Ibn al-Muqaffa - translator and essayist (759)
• (6) Rabia al-Adawiyya - renunciant and saint (801)
• (7) al-Mamun - caliph-patron (833)

Part 2: The Islamic Commonwealth (850-1050)

• (8) Arib - courtesan of caliphs (890)
• (9) al-Hallaj - the Truth (922)
• (10) al-Tabari - traditionalist rationalist (923)
• (11) Abu Bakr al-Razi - free thinking physician (925 or 935)
• (12) Ibn Fadlan - intrepid envoy (fl. tenth century)
• (13) Ibn Muqla - vizier, scribe, calligrapher? (940)
• (14) Mahmud of Ghazana - conqueror and patron (1030)
• (15) al-Biruni - catalog of nature and culture (c. 1050)

Part 3: A Provisional Synthesis (1050-1250)

• (16) Ibn Hazm - polemicist, polymath (1064)
• (17) Karima al-Marwaziyya - hadith scholar (1070)
• (18) al-Ghazali - Renewer of Islam (1111)
• (19) Abu al-Qasim Ramisht - merchant millionaire (c. 1150)
• (20) al-Idrisi - cosmopolitan cartographer (1165)
• (21) Saladin - anti-Crusader hero (1193)
• (22) Ibn Rushd (Averroes) - Aristotelian monotheist (1198)

Part 4: Disruption & Integration (1250 - 1525)

• (23) Rumi - Sufi poet (1273)
• (24) Rashid al-Din - physician, courtier and global historian (1318)
• (25) al-Hilli - paragon of Shi'ism ascendant (1325)
• (26) Ibn Taymiyya - stubborn reactionary (1328)
• (27) Timur - sheep-rustler, world-conqueror (1405)
• (28) Ibn Khaldun - social theorist and historian (1406)
• (29) Mehmed II - conqueror and renaissance man (1481)
• (30) Shah Ismail - esoteric charismatic (1524)

Racism in America and the Role of American Muslims In Combatting It

What is Islam? | Islam, the Quran, and Christianity

Dangers of Islamophobia | Marc Scarcelli | TEDxCPP

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): The Most Successful Leader in History - Dr. Shaykh Yasir Qadhi

In his last lecture in Memphis moving to Houston, Dr. Shaykh Yasir Qadhi reminds us about what a great leader was our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Very inspiring!

Five times Prayer in Qur'an

At the time of the Messenger of Allah (saws), there were five prayers prayed in the Mosque at five different times. The Quranic aayats regarding the timing of prayers are as follows:

Chapter 11, Surah Hud ayaat 114: Establish the Salat at the two ends of the day and in the early part of the night. (implies fajr, magrib and isha)

Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah ayaat 238:  Take great care of your Prayers, especially of the middle Prayer and stand before Allah like devoted servants. (implies asr) 

Chapter 17 Bani Israel ayaat 78:  Establish the Salat from the declining of the sun to the darkness of the night and be particular about the recital of the Quran at dawn for the recital of the Quran at dawn is witnessed. (implies asr, magrib and fajr)

Chapter 30 Surah Rum ayat 17-18:  So, glorify Allah in the evening and in the morning; praise is due to Him alone in the heavens and the earth: and (glorify Him) in the afternoon and at the declining of the day. (implies fajr, magrib, dhuhr and asr)

Chapter 50 Surah Qaf ayat 39-40:  Therefore, O Prophet (saws), bear with patience whatever they say, and keep up glorifying your Lord with his praise, before sunrise and before sunset. And glorify Him again in the night and also when are free from prostrations. (implies fajr, dhuhr, asr, isha and tahajjud)

The prayer timings in the Quran are implied and thus if the above ayaats are read together, they clearly point towards the 5 obligatory fard prayers. A point to note when reading and understanding the Quran is that we must see how the Prophet (saws) understood and implemented the aayaats. The Prophet (saws) and all his companions prayed 5 times. Prayer was such a thing that it happened 5 times a day in front of thousands of people and thousands of people witnessed the timings and related them in their narrations. In times of extreme rain and travel, the Prophet (saws) did join sometimes the dhuhr/asr and also the magrib/isha prayers according to one tradition, but on a regular basis, he always led the congregation on the allotted 5 different times.Five times Prayer in Qur'an

100 Instructions From Quran

1. Do not be rude in speech (3:159)
2. Restrain Anger (3:134)
3. Be good to others (4:36)
4. Do not be arrogant (7:13)
5. Forgive others for their mistakes (7:199)
6. Speak to people mildly (20:44)
7. Lower your voice (31:19)
8. Do not ridicule others (49:11)
9. Be dutiful to parents(17:23)
10. Do not say a word of disrespect to parents (17:23)
11. Do not enter parents’ private room without asking permission (24:58)
12. Write down the debt (2:282)
13. Do not follow anyone blindly (2:170)
14. Grant more time to repay if the debtor is in hard time (2:280)
15. Don’t consume interest (2:275)
16. Do not engage in bribery (2:188)
17. Do not break the promise (2:177)
18. Keep the trust (2:283)
19. Do not mix the truth with falsehood (2:42)
20. Judge with justice between people (4:58)
21. Stand out firmly for justice (4:135)
22. Wealth of the dead should be distributed among his family members (4:7)
23. Women also have the right for inheritance (4:7)
24. Do not devour the property of orphans (4:10)
25. Protect orphans (2:220)
26. Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly (4:29)
27. Try for settlement between people (49:9)
28. Avoid suspicion (49:12)
29. Do not spy and backbite (2:283)
30. Do not spy or backbite (49:12)
31. Spend wealth in charity (57:7)
32. Encourage feeding poor (107:3)
33. Help those in need by finding them (2:273)
34. Do not spend money extravagantly (17:29)
35. Do not invalidate charity with reminders (2:264)
36. Honor guests (51:26)
37. Order righteousness to people only after practicing it yourself(2:44)
38. Do not commit abuse on the earth (2:60)
39. Do not prevent people from mosques (2:114)
40. Fight only with those who fight you (2:190)
41. Keep the etiquettes of war (2:191)
42. Do not turn back in battle (8:15)
43. No compulsion in religion (2:256)
44. Believe in all prophets (2:285)
45. Do not have sexual intercourse during menstrual period (2:222)
46. Breast feed your children for two complete years (2:233)
47. Do not even approach unlawful sexual intercourse (17:32)
48. Choose rulers by their merit (2:247)
49. Do not burden a person beyond his scope (2:286)
50. Do not become divided (3:103)
51. Think deeply about the wonders and creation of this universe (3:191)
52. Men and Women have equal rewards for their deeds (3:195)
53. Do not marry those in your blood relation (4:23)
54. Family should be led by men (4:34)
55. Do not be miserly (4:37)
56.Do not keep envy (4:54)
57. Do not kill each other (4:92)
58. Do not be an advocate for deceit (4:105)
59. Do not cooperate in sin and aggression (5:2)
60. Cooperate in righteousness (5:2)
61. ’Having majority’ is not a criterion of truth (6:116)
62. Be just (5:8)
63. Punish for crimes in an exemplary way (5:38)
64. Strive against sinful and unlawful acts (5:63)
65. Dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine are prohibited (5:3)
66. Avoid intoxicants and alcohol (5:90)
67. Do not gamble (5:90)
68. Do not insult others’ deities (6:108)
69. Don’t reduce weight or measure to cheat people (6:152)
70. Eat and Drink, But Be Not Excessive (7:31)
71. Wear good cloths during prayer times (7:31)
72. protect and help those who seek protection (9:6)
73. Keep Purity (9:108)
74. Never give up hope of Allah’s Mercy (12:87)
75. Allah will forgive those who have done wrong out of ignorance (16:119)
76. Invitation to God should be with wisdom and good instruction (16:125)
77. No one will bear others’ sins (17:15)
78. Do not kill your children for fear of poverty (17:31)
79. Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge (17:36)
80. Keep aloof from what is vain (23:3)
81. Do not enter others’ houses without seeking permission (24:27)
82. Allah will provide security for those who believe only in Allah (24:55)
83. Walk on earth in humility (25:63)
84. Do not neglect your portion of this world (28:77)
85. Invoke not any other god along with Allah (28:88)
86. Do not engage in homosexuality (29:29)
87. Enjoin right, forbid wrong (31:17)
88. Do not walk in insolence through the earth (31:18)
89. Women should not display their finery (33:33)
90. Allah forgives all sins (39:53)
91. Do not despair of the mercy of Allah (39:53)
92. Repel evil by good (41:34)
93. Decide on affairs by consultation (42:38)
94. Most noble of you is the most righteous (49:13)
95. No Monasticism in religion (57:27)
96. Those who have knowledge will be given a higher degree by Allah (58:11)
97. Treat non-Muslims in a kind and fair manner (60:8)
98. Save yourself from covetousness (64:16)
99. Seek forgiveness of Allah. He is Forgiving and Merciful (73:20)
100. Do not repel the petitioner/beggar (93:10)

0001 Sahih Bukhari English Chapter 01 Revelation Part 1 of 2 Hadith 1-5

What Should We Do?

Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa - Response to the Media | Dr. Sh. Yasir Qadhi

40 hadiths of Imam Al-Nawawi by Sheikh Navaid Aziz

Shykh Yasir Qadhi emphasized in a lecture to go through 40 Hadith of Imam An Nawawi followed by his Riyad Us Salehin. When looking at youtube videos I found Shykh Navaid Aziz's lectures to be very detail and well explained. So i am going through these.



In the first 2 lectures, Shykh Navaid explained a lot about the Science of Hadith. The 7 categories of Hadith in acceptable / not acceptable forms were decided based on so many different attributes of the narrators, chain, content, the timing, place and situations and their relative occurrences etc. 9 book of Hadiths with 6 of them widely accepted as Kutub Al-Sittah. I was thinking why not write a software program where we can input all those data and evaluation criteria to come up with a mathematical authenticity score instead of 7 relative levels of acceptance / rejection? But then I am afraid of Bidah (innovation in religious matters). So I will stop with just this mention here about the possibility of writing a computer program that can do based on the data gathered by past great Islamic scholars and come up with a precise ranking of 25,000 to 35,000 Sahih /Hasan hadiths and possibly all 700,000 hadiths (that include Daif/weak and fabricated ones as well). Allah knows best.

I have documented this idea at Software Program to Rank / Score Hadith Authenticity as well.

Islamophobia vs Criticism of Islam by Hamza Andreas Tzortzis

Source: Facebook post of Hamza Tzortzis

My dear brothers and sisters, please do not conflate Islamophobia with legitimate criticism of Islam. The inability to understand the difference will only make things worse. Please remember, we are standing on the shoulders of giants. Our traditional and classical scholars were the first to pose challenging questions and criticisms about their own faith, yet they presented profound answers and articulated well formed arguments. If people are censored or silenced when they have a legitimate question or criticism they will seek answers from biased sources that do not represent our intellectual tradition. We can't escape the modern world. It is time to pull our intellectual sleeves up and get to work. 

A good place to start online is by visiting Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research's website, the Renovatio journal by Zaytuna College and my website (www.hamzatzortzis.com).
I have spent some time upgrading most of my essays and articles, which include new writings on various topics. I will be posting more in the future God-willing. Here are few legitimate questions with the answers:

If God is loving and merciful why is there so much evil and suffering in the world?
http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/is-god-merciful-islams-respon…/

Can good exist without God?
http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/know-god-know-good-god-object…/

Does God exist?
http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/the-qurans-argument-for-gods-…/

Does God need our worship? Why did He create us to worship Him?
http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/does-god-need-our-worship-why…/

How do you know God is one?
http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/divine-singularity-the-onenes…/

Some physicists argue the universe came from nothing, is this true?
http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/on-professor-lawrence-krauss-…/

Are ISIS Islamic?
http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/isis-are-not-islamic/
http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/on-the-deplorable-act-of-kill…/

Here are some of my favourites from Yaqeen Institute's website:

The myth of an antisemitic genocide in Muslim scripture
https://yaqeeninstitute.org/…/the-myth-of-an-antisemitic-g…/

Islam and the golden rule
https://yaqeeninstitute.org/…/justin-parro…/the-golden-rule/

Islam and the accusation of violence and terrorism
https://yaqeeninstitute.org/…/forever-on-trial-islam-and-t…/
https://yaqeeninstitute.org/…/jihad-as-defense-just-war-th…/

Although the Renovatio journal is new, here is one of my favourite essays:

Can materialism explain the mind?
https://renovatio.zaytuna.edu/…/can-materialism-explain-the…

I pray this has sparked something within you to start to articulate a compassionate and intelligent case for Islam. I pray we all become vessels of love, mercy, reason, tolerance and compassion.

(Note: Legitimate in this context means justified, valid and genuine. Their criticisms are wrong and unfounded but they cam still be justified, valid and genuine from the point of view that they are misinformed and lack knowledge. I hope this clarifies. ‏It is our job to educate and inform people.)